Ganga trail gets a musical touch in Varanasi

A delightful musical evening was a befitting culmination of Ganga Trail, organised as part of Times Passion Trails, an initiative by The Times of India. The trail, that started from Devprayag and moved to Rishikesh, Haridwar and Allahabad, concluded at Varanasi and was a soul-stirring experience for the participants, who hailed from different cities.
In Banaras, the travellers visited the Kashi Vishwanath temple, participated in the Ganga Arti and attended a lecture on Vedic Philosophy at Banaras Hindu University. Treated to some soulful Kabir songs at Kabir Math, the participants also enjoyed a picnic in the midst of River Ganga at the Chunar Fort.
The presence of eminent scholar Prof Pushpesh Pant, who gave some valuable inputs to the participants, added to their experience. “Travelling along River Ganga is always a novel experience. One tends to discover something new not only about the river but also about oneself,” he said .
Gushing about her experience, Smita Visheshwar from Chennai said, “Banaras turned out to be as I had imagined – picturesque and beautiful.”
Dinesh Pai, a banker from Dubai, who participated in the trail, said “We have travelled 900 kms along River Ganga witnessing different cultures which was quite a memorable experience. What makes Banaras special is the vibrancy of the city”. At the evening depicting the musical traditions of Banaras, which was held for the participants, eminent vocalist Sucharita Gupta regaled the audience with mellifluous thumri, chaiti and Holi compositions. She also rendered some popular numbers like Nazar Lagi Raja Tore Bangle Par, Hamri Atariya Pe. Dama Dam Mast Kalandar led to impromptu dancing by Asha Senani, Romy Agarwal and Jenice Somji.
On popular demand Dhanush Acharya, a participant from Dubai, crooned some numbers like Phoolon Ke Rang Se, and Pal Pal Dil Ke Pas. Others also joined in when he sang Kal Ho Na Ho.